Education and training resource package for scaling-up professional competencies of primary health care providers
About the red box
Background
The development and maintenance of a competent workforce is a key component of the World Heath Organization's effort to strengthen health systems based on primary health care.
The organization has therefore put together a resource package to help education and training institutions produce more competent primary health care professionals who are willing to work in remote and rural areas. The resource package will also ensure continuous professional development of existing health practitioners.
What is the WHO/PHC Education and Training Resource Package?
WHO/Primary Health Care Education and Training Resource Package is a collection of comprehensive and up-to-date instruction and learning materials published by WHO, in CD-ROM and print format. Materials that follow the Primary Health Care approach, with its focus on universal coverage and person-centred service delivery, have been prioritized.
Who are the target end-users?
The WHO/PHC Education and Training Resource Package is intended for faculty and students in nursing, midwifery, medicine, pharmacology, medical technology, laboratory technicians, health librarians, and other health professionals.
How to use this Resource Package?
Hard copies and CDs have been made available in a red demonstration case to a selection of countries participating in the Global Programme of Work. Those settings with the least access to internet or connectivity to electronic information are being prioritized. Librarians are being trained in the use, management, and maintenance of the resource package. Directors, deans and librarians of participating centres will ensure that their faculty, colleagues, and students know that the resource package is available and encourage them to use the materials.
The resource package will be regularly updated based on feedback received from collaborating centres and their users. Participating centres that are able to manage and maintain the resource package effectively will receive new resource materials and additional copies of frequently used resource materials.
What are the benefits?
The resource package provides individual health professionals and health care teams with:
- easy access to current health information
- state of the art resource materials on priority health issues
- collaborative practice
- opportunities to build professional competencies
- tools to address the changing health needs of the population.
Increased knowledge and skills will improve the care given to individual patients, families, and the community. Professional regulatory boards may consider using this resource package for continuing professional education and granting of credits. Participating WHO collaborating centres may include this activity to their terms of reference for re-designation.